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April 25, 2018

Brussels, Belgium

Paula Tavares, a World Bank legal gender specialist and co-author of the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) 2018 report, presents at the European Parliament Subcommittee Hearing on the report key findings and discusses global and regional trends in women's legal protection against domestic violence and sexual harassment.

Discriminatory legislation is the focus of the hearing and specifically recent developments in the area of legal protection of women and girls against sexual violence. Laws on sexual violence have been developed, drawing on concepts of human rights and gender equality, but these are not uniformly applied in all countries.

The relevant international legal conventions are presented and there are specific country examples aiming to provide a basis for understanding the dynamics underpinning the positive ongoing developments in the protection of women and girls.